Of Vice and Virtue
by Abandon-Morality
Summary: Ba Sing Sei Arc. In a place so twisted, will two ravaged souls be able to save each other, or cast themselves, and the world, into dispair?
1. Chapter 1

POV: ZUKO AND IROH

"Prince Zuko?" Iroh questioned his withdrawn nephew.

Zuko looked away from the old man's eyes; hiding the sickness he felt writhing around inside of him from the man who had all but spawned him.

"I don't want to talk about it," the angry youth snarled. As the boy opened his mouth to talk again, a coughing fit broke him off. When Iroh moved to pat his nephews back, Zuko stood and rushed from the room, slamming every door possible on his way outside.

Long after the doors had slammed shut, Iroh sat in his spot in the floor, staring at the bed where Zuko had been laying. Sighing, the old general stood, shrugging off his robe before sliding into his own bed. "Zuko," he whispered, drifting off, "I wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself. For a boy so young, you try to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. I just hope that when it becomes too much for you to bear, you will seek help instead of letting it rot you from the inside out, like it did your father, and his father before him, and on through the generations past. My beautiful little Zu-"without another syllable, the elder man succumbed to sleep; not knowing that the person he loved most in the world wouldn't be there when he awoke.

POV Change: Sokka

Stretching in the fading sunlight, Sokka walked down the deserted streets of lower Ba Sing Se, looking for something interesting to do. Hanging out with his sister and the others was fine most of the time, but, every once in a while, he just had an irresistible urge to wonder the nearest streets alone.

Just as he was going to start back for the house they were staying in, he heard soft singing. The words were too faint to hear, but the melody was lovely. Like a melancholy nightmare; soothing but frightening.

Approaching the source, he was grabbed on the shoulder. Turning to confront whoever had touched him, he was stunned to find an old woman and a beautiful young lady. They both had fingers to their lips, motioning him into a nearby house.

Following silently, Sokka resisted the urge to ask what was going on until he got inside, where he couldn't be heard by unwelcome ears. Wary of entering a strangers house, Sokka kept his back to the wall, watching the pair suspiciously, wondering why they felt the need to speak with him.

Closing the only open window, the old woman gestured at the girl to speak, but to do so quietly.

"I don't know who you are, but don't go near Lee. He'll hear you long before you can get close enough to attack." She said, warning in her tone.

Sokka shook his head, "Who the heck is Lee? And why did you bring me here? I was just trying to get closer to the person singing."

They both let out sighs. "So you're not a slaver?" the young girl asked, relief and fear in her voice.

Sokka tilted his head to the side, "What would a slaver be doing in Ba Sing Se?"

The woman snorted. "Young man," she rasped, "I don't know what anyone has told you, but this is Lower Ba Sing Se. The Slavers come and go as they please, stealing refugees and natives alike. Not a day goes by when some poor mother doesn't lose a child to those monsters. On the bad nights, whole families disappear, leaving nothing but smoking rubble behind."

"T-that's awful!" Sokka exclaimed, "Have you told the guards? The king?"

This time the girl was the one to snort, her beautiful face scrunching up in distaste, "The guards are in on it; and the king couldn't care less. Like G-Ma said; this in lower Ba Sing Se. Not a soul cares about what kind of lives we live."

Sokka shook his head, "That can't be true! How could the officials turn their backs on living, breathing people?"

Smiling, the girl shook her head in mock sadness, "To live the life you've had. . . . By the time I was six years old I had learned the truth of this place. That was when the slavers took my mom; they gave the guards the first round at her."

Sokka gasped, repulsed by what he was hearing; maybe Toph was right, cities were evil places. "Can't you all leave? Go somewhere safe?"

Before they could answer, Sokka cut them off, "Yeah, I know; this is the last safe heaven on earth. It was a stupid suggestion." Sighing, he looked G-Ma and the girl up and down. Their clothes were ragged, but well kept, feet bare. "Are you two natives of refugees?"

G-Ma raised a hand, "I'm a Native. Lynn was an orphan refugee when I picked her up."

Lynn looked away, "I don't know why it would be any of your business; you live above the inner gates."

Sokka shook his head, "I don't live there. I'm just traveling with the Avatar, so we get to stay in one of the upper estates." As Sokka was about to continue, Lynn hissed art him.

"Get out of our house!" she near screeched.

Shushing her, G-Ma turned to him. "You have to leave now. If we catch you here again, we will call the Night Watch."

Sokka was flabbergasted; what did he do? "Look, I'm sorry if I offended you, but I can go anywhere I want to. It's a free city, after all."

As G-Ma opened her mouth to retort, a flurry of knocking sounded at the door. "G-Ma?" A raspy voice asked, "Is something wrong? I heard Lynn yell."

Lynn's eyes widened as the shoved Sokka into the hall, motioning for him to be quiet.

"Oh, Lee," Sokka heard G-Ma greet, "Lynn just saw a spider, is all. I'm terribly sorry to have disturbed you. What a shame that you had to stop when you finally felt good enough to sing.

A choked sort of chuckle came from the front room. "It's fine, G-Ma. I'm feeling much better than before. That medicine you gave me did wonders."

Even Sokka could hear the lie in that statement. This person sounded as though they were on their deathbed.

"I'm glad you're feeling better, but I still think that you should tell your Grandfather that you're sick. I'm sure he wouldn't let you work so hard if he knew."

That same chuckle erupted, "I'm sure of it, G-Ma. That's why I can't tell him. He's too old to have to work so hard for so little money."

This time G-Ma chuckled, "You are such a sweet boy. If only more children were like you. So strong and kind."

"With all the things I've done in my life, I'm sure that you're the only person in the world that would call me kind."

There was a smile in G-Ma's voice when she spoke again, "You are kind child. Doing things we're not proud of is a big part of life. One day, you'll understand that as well as I do."

"I'm glad you're here, G-Ma, even if you do like to sound like Grandfather. I guess I should be getting back home. If I'm up too late I'll not want to work tomorrow."

Sighing, G-Ma opened the door, "Alright, Lee, but remember; take care of that Ghettoes cough. Leave it to fester in your lungs and your living days are over."

Giving another chuckle, Lee departed.

Several silent minutes passed before G-Ma whispered, "You can come out now, kid. I think he's out of hearing range."

Stepping out of his hiding place, Sokka cast a curious glance at G-Ma. "Who was that?"

Lynn laughed, coming back into the room carrying a tray with enough tea for three people. "That was Lee. He just got into Ba Sing Se a couple of weeks ago. He and his Grandfather work in a tea vending shop a few blocks over. I had hoped that he would stay long enough to drink another remedy. I'm worried that he's just going to fall over in the street somewhere."

"Shush, girl!" G-Ma snapped, "Don't jinx the poor boy. Lord knows he has enough to worry over without adding Ghettoes lung to it."

Sighing, G-Ma covered her face with her hand, "I wish we could help him get the medicine he needs, instead of some half baked cure-all."

Sokka couldn't stand the despair in her voice, "How much does it cost? I mean if people like you guys and this Lee person needs it, shouldn't it be easy to get?"

Lynn looked at him like he had some screws loose. "Don't you know anything? The more people need it, the higher the price. Maybe someone in the silver of golden district could afford it, but for people like us, people struggling to survive, it's almost unattainable."

Sokka shook his head, "That's not true. In my tribe, when a sickness travels around everyone pitches together to make sure each person has enough to heal them."

"Well, that's in YOUR tribe, not here. Whatever's going on in your tribe isn't going to save Lee. He's going to die and all because people in the inner city can't live without their fancy baubles."

Sighing, Sokka reached for his pouch, "How much does the cure cost?"

Lynn looked him up and down, mistrust in her eyes. "I'd sooner let Lee croak than see you use him."

"Look," Sokka burst out, "I'm just trying to help. You want him to die? Fine. It's no skin off my back."

With that Sokka left the house, too frustrated to notice the shadow following him.

POV CHANGE ZUKO

'Great,' Zuko thought, 'now I have the village idiot snooping around.'

Zuko followed Sokka all the way to the house where he and the others were staying; peeking inside to try to catch a glimpse of Aang, seething that his long time prey was so close, and he was too weak to take him.

Just as he was about to slink away, he felt the ground move, shifting to enclose his leg.

"And you would be . . . .?" the voice of a young girl asked from above Zuko's head.

Cursing, Zuko looked up, finding the Avatar's blind friend sitting on a pillar of rock about ten feet away.

"No one you need to concern yourself with," the banished prince rasped, glad for once that his voice was so distorted by the infection in his lungs.

Jumping down from her perch, the girl sauntered over to him, her sightless eyes narrowed, "Oh, really?" she taunted, "and here I had thought you were that psycho fire bender who keeps chasing us all over the world."

Zuko hissed as the rock bonds on his feet tightened, pulling him off balance. "Nope. I do tend to get that a lot though. I was just following a friend and got lost. If this isn't his house, I'll just be going."

Zuko tried to move out of the binds, but they wouldn't budge. "I don't think so, bubs. I know you're lying. Each time you lie, I feel the vibrations of it in your core."

Zuko tsked, "Useful knowledge. Now let me go! I have no business with you."

The girl laughed, "Other than you being in our yard, following one of our members, and, what was it again? Oh, yeah, almost killing us half a dozen times."

Zuko growled, "I was only following that peasant because he was distressing a friend of mine. And it's not your property; I can be here as much as I want."

The girl scowled, "I'm still trying to figure out how the prince of the fire nation managed to infiltrate Ba Sing Se. I mean, it's not like your poster isn't on every wall in town. And no offense, but your kind of hard to miss."

Zuko looked away, hatred sending his temperature sky rocketing. "You don't know the half of it." With one harsh jerk, he broke free, sending a wave of flame at the girl, expecting her to dodge. When she just stood there, it occurred to Zuko that she may not be able to see the fire coming towards her. Cursing again, he jumped in front of the flames, stopping when they were just close enough to let the blind girl feel their heat. Screaming, she threw her hands up, sending great towers of rock straight at her savior, hitting him in the chest several times and in the head once.

Damning himself for his sickness, Zuko booked it, running all the way to Lower Ba Sing Se, not stopping once before he reached G-Ma's little house, hoping that they were still up. Knocking on the door, he felt darkness dragging at him, pulling him to unconsciousness.

'Oh, good,' Zuko thought as the world began to disappear, 'I think I can finally go home.'

Not even Lynn's screaming could rouse him; lost in his own head, he was unreachable.

The end.

Of this chapter.

TBC

Sorry it sucks. FAV/ALERTS are loved!


	2. Follow me dowN Out of this towN

I know that I said that fav's and alerts were loved, but I forgot to mention that Reviews were adored.

And I have to give a special thanks to my most loyal fan, Paradoxismminant, who not only reviewed, but has consistently suffered through my dreadful blather to be my favorite person! This chapter is dedicated to you. Thank you!

Sokka could feel eyes on him as he walked down the street; the three earth kingdom guards at his back drew more attention than even Appa was likely too. 'Stupid fire prince,' he thought, peeved that he had to be escorted everywhere he went because of the other boy's late night stunt. 

As the water tribe boy turned the corner, he found his escape route; a slight crack in the wall, just big enough for a boy who had yet to complete his growth spurt.

Before he could think of a distraction, though, one was provided for him; a series of smoke bombs went off to the side of them, making the two guards in back push him away, nearer the crevice.

As he headed towards it the ground suddenly fell from under him, dropping him into a strange sort of water tunnel. Sokka let out a grateful sigh as he thought about how close he had come to landing in god knew what.

Groaning, Sokka looked around, straining his eyes to see in the near darkness, the only light coming from the hole he had just come through, and even that scarce light was fading as the opening closed itself up.

Having seen nothing suspicious, Sokka stood uneasily, his knee popping under his own weight. Edging his way to the wall, he heard footsteps approaching from his left, then from his right. Finding himself with only one option, he raced forward, hoping that by jumping into the fast moving fluid, he could escape.

Just as he was going to slip into the water, he became incased in solid rock. "W-what do you want?" He demanded at the darkness. So far as he knew, Zuko didn't have any earth bending buddies.

From his side, he heard a familiar voice speak, "Calm down. We just had to get you away from those bastard guards." With the strike of a flint, the tunnel became illuminated, showing Lynn and several other kids her age, all varying in coloring and features.

Lynn motioned for the burly boy at Sokka's left to release him from his earthen prison.

Sokka sighed, feeling the blood flow back into his deprived veins. Glancing at all of the gathered kids, he had to guess that there were about twenty of them, ranging from twelve to fifteen. Turning to Lynn, he cocked an eyebrow, "So what'd you want?"

Lynn and the others all looked different directions, even the eyes of the burly kid next to him watering. "Lee got hurt," the girl whispered, "He got hurt real bad. Someone attacked him last night, stole all of his money." Looking up, Lynn glared at the older boy, almost as though she were blaming this situation on him, "He made it to my house, but there wasn't much we could do for him but make him comfortable. When his Grandfather got there, he sent for a doctor, even though he probably can't afford it." Sniffing here, Lynn stopped, her tears running rampant down her face.

The kid next to her put his hand on her shoulder, nodding when she looked at him. The boy looked straight in Sokka's eyes as he spoke, his voice deep, despite his age, "The doctor said that Lee's body was strong, but that it couldn't heal both the damage from the Ghettoes lung and the wounds he sustained last night. Uncle Mushi gave the doctor everything he had, and all the families around pitched in as well, but it just wasn't enough for the bill and the medicine together. The doctor gave us a bit of a break, but even with that there's just not enough for what Lee needs. I-if,"

Here the boy stopped, looking away ashamedly, his eyes taking in everything but the older teen in front of him.

Lynn continued, finally together enough to speak, "If we put all of our savings together, we still need four silver. I know that that's too much to be expected to give to someone you don't even know, but I'm willing to do anything," here she choked, her pale green eyes turning the stormy hue of the sea, "to make sure that no one else I care for has to die from something so stupidly easy to cure."

Sokka nodded, his own eyes watering at the pain in the girls voice. A pain he himself felt. Reaching into his shoulder bag, Sokka took out his purse, handing the entirety of it to Lynn, watching her face wonder at its weight.

Cocking her head to the side, she undid the string, letting her eyes widen in awe as she beheld enough money to buy a small plot of land, maybe even enough to start building on it, too. With trembling fingers, she carefully took out four silver pieces, one at a time; as though she wanted everyone to see the exact amount she took.

Handing the bag back, she glanced warily from Sokka's eyes to the coins in her hand. Breathing in deeply, she nodded to the older boy. 'I'll pay you back,' her eyes seemed to say, though Sokka just shook his head, looking questioningly at the spot in the ceiling where he had fallen through.

Laughing, Lynn patted her friend's hand, using some kind of sign language to communicate Sokka's wishes.

Nodding, the boy motioned for Sokka to follow him as he began to head down one direction of the pipe, Lynn and her other friends heading down the other.

Sokka followed behind the unusually tall kid, giving only one last glance at Lynn's retreating back.

After several minutes, though, the water tribe boy became impatient, a vague worry that these kids might not be completely trustworthy entering his head.

"Sooo," Sokka drawled, "What's your name?"

The big boy didn't answer for a long time, and just when Sokka was going to ask again, "The name my parents gave me was 'Ikki', but the name I go by in Ba Sing Se is 'Memphis'," the boy said, deep baritone giving the name a menacing quality.

Sokka nodded his head, impressed, "What's that mean, though? Killer bear-fish? Or, oh, maybe it's a type of meat eating animal that lived a long time ago?"

Memphis grinned, "Naw," he drawled back, "It's a ruined city from way, way back. My old friend Angel gave it to me when was first met. She knew a lot, Angel did. She gave almost everyone a name they could be proud of, even if they couldn't understand what it meant at the time."

Sokka caught on to the soft quality in the boy's voice, his lips pulling up into a teasing smirk, "Ah, so you liked this girl, did you?"

The smile that had been on Memphis' face faded into a harsh frown, "I did. But I realized it too late."

"Oh," Sokka mumbled, "So she got another man?"

Memphis' frown deepened still as he shook his head, "She died in a mugging. Not that she carried much, mind, but it was enough for someone to justify killing her."

Sokka grimaced, his thoughtlessness catching up to him. "Oh, man," he whispered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean t-to"

"Never mind," Memphis shrugged, "You couldn't have known. But for future reference, almost everyone in our gang has had something terrible happen to them." Pausing mid step, a thoughtful look took over his face, "You know," he almost whispered, as though to himself, "I guess you could say that we're bonded together by tragedy." Coming out of his revere, he grinned sheepishly down at Sokka, "Sorry," He said, embarrassment clear in his voice.

Sokka shook his head, smiling. "Don't worry about it; my friends and I are bonded by the same thing."

Nodding, Memphis started walking again, his step noticeably lighter.

"Anyways," Sokka asked eventually, "Where are we even headed?"

Memphis looked down at him, his eyes laughing, "We're going to the golden district. Lynn figured that if I open a tunnel just big enough for you to crawl through, no one will notice, and you can get home safely."

Now Sokka stopped mid step; "Oh, no," he said, voice going an octave higher than normal, "I had a perfectly good escape route up there, and I am not going to go back to that stifling coop just because you guys ruined it!"

Memphis stopped, looking down at the other boy as if he were mad, "So," he intoned, "You don't want to go to the golden district?"

Sokka nodded emphatically, "I hate being there. It's so full of snobs. If you can somehow take me to the South Pole, I'd happily go back home. I'm just about sick of people that think they're better than others 'cause they have more money."

Memphis smiled slightly, "You're from the South Pole?"

Sokka puffed his chest out in pride, "Sure am! I happen to be the son of the greatest chief in our history. My little sister, Katara, is the last water bender in the Southern tribe."

"The last?" Memphis asked.

Sokka looked at the ground, horrible memories dancing behind his eyes, "Yeah," He whispered, "The fire nation came and took all of the water benders. They came and destroyed our towers and our schools, and they even destroyed our healing chambers. Everything. They destroyed and killed and left our village a mass of smoking rubble and sooty snow. My mom," Sokka paused; face contorting in pain, "She was just pregnant with me then. By the time I came around, we had a new settlement, of sorts. It wasn't anywhere as grand as our original water palace since we had no more water benders, but it became our home. My sister came a year and a half later; the first new water bender."

Sokka looked up at Memphis, giving the boy a watery smile, "Sorry about this," he murmured, "I haven't told anyone this before."

Memphis nodded his great head, understanding in his young eyes, "Everyone needs to let their feelings out, or they will be consumed. Angel taught me that too."

Sokka nodded, seeing the wisdom in that sentence, "When Katara was six, my father started looking for a water bending teacher for her. That was all it took for the fire nation to return. One day we were just playing in the snow, kids shirking off chores, and out of nowhere, the fire nation soldiers were their; attacking our small village. We fought them as hard as we could, but some got behind the lines. One made it all the way to our tent. They found my mother there. Just as he was about to kill her, Katara ran in, scared and shaking. The soldier let her go, but killed my mom. They had heard that there was a water tribe bender, but they didn't know how old she was. My mom said that she was the one, and she died, protecting her daughter."

Memphis placed a hand on Sokka's shoulder, eyes watery. "It must have been hard on you. Having fought so hard, but not being able to save her."

Sokka nodded, wiping his eyes, "But I know she died for something she believed. I know that had she not died, Katara would have. More of our people would have. She sacrificed her life to save us all. I love her even more for that."

Memphis nodded his head, "I know how it feels to lose a parent. My dad died when I was just a kid. My mom couldn't handle raising a child on her own, so she dumped me at a local orphanage. From there I traveled around, stealing and fighting. If it wasn't for Angel, I'd have been lost to myself long ago. That's how we all met, actually. Angel used to go around asking for spare change in the silver and golden districts, then she'd buy food and give it out to anyone she could. On her rounds, she would often pick up kids and bring them to safe homes. Places where they could rest and feel like they wouldn't be jumped in their sleep. I met Lynn and Crow there. Then we met more, then we formed a gang, then we formed a family."

Sokka nodded, a small smile gracing his features, "It sounds like this Angel person was a real angel. Wish I could have met her."

Memphis grinned, "She was." Looking sheepish again, Memphis blushed, "Though she had some real fire in her veins. If you stepped out of line, didn't matter how big you were, she'd paddle you over the bottom."

Sokka laughed, eyes tearing at the thought of a tiny little girl beating the butt of this mammoth. "So she was a fiery one?"

Memphis blushed even deeper, "Oh, yeah. She was every bit her element. I don't think all fire benders are that hot headed though, since Lee is pretty calm most of the time."

Sokka was fixing to laugh, but he caught the meaning of the other boy's statements; they were fire benders?

"Wait, wait, wait," Sokka gasped, "Are you telling me that there are fire benders within the walls of Be Sing Se?"

Memphis shut his mouth quickly, eyes hardening and blush fading, "I think it's time for you to go now."

Before Sokka could even argue, a pillar of stone catapulted him through the ceiling.

Once on solid ground again, Sokka stood, bones aching from the impact. "Oh," he moaned, "this has not been my day."

Glancing back at the ground, he walked away, feeling as though he had just discovered something big, though the ringing in his ears wouldn't let him think it through.

Walking in the gates of their barrowed house, Sokka was bombarded by hugs and yelling, each member of their GAang seemed to want a piece of the water tribe boy.

"Where have you been!" Katara shouted, her voice exasperated, "we've been worried sick. When those earth kingdom guards came back alone, we all had the worst kind of thoughts!"

Sokka grinned sheepishly at the floor. "I was just out with some new friends. We had to make a distraction to get away from those nosey guards. Sorry for worrying you all."

Sokka didn't know why he lied, but he just knew that he should. He was going to find out what secrets Lower Be Sing Se held, and he was going to do it on his own.

Chapter two up and ready!

It might be a little bit before I make another chapter, I tried to make this one a little longer, to cover for the lateness.

If you can tell me the title of the song this chapter is named for, and why I put it as such, I will take any request you have.

(IE, If you want to see Sokka kiss Appa, Aang make out with his pillow, ect.)

Laters,

-Bandon!


	3. Some say the world will end in fire

Thyra-TigerLily 

Blue tiger 

this sparrow 

Paradoxismminant Thank you for saying that you liked knowing me as a person, not just an author. I get the feeling that most of my reviewers forget that I'm still just a kid myself, not some big shot author. ;} Thanks for remembering! You make me think of the opening of the song 'Of all the gin joints of all the world' by FOB. LOL

Thank you all for reviewing! This chapter is dedicated to you four for making me feel so guilty that I had no choice but to eventually update. ;}

"No one could call this a good situation," the doctor hedged, "But now that we have that medicine in him, I think that he should get better shortly. "

Lynn sighed in relief, hugging Iroh as he cried with joy; his nephew wasn't going to knock off before him after all.

The Doctor motioned for them to hush down, pointedly looking from them to the sleeping boy in the cot next to them.

Looking appropriately ashamed, the two nodded and followed the doctor outside Zuko's makeshift hospital room. "Past the lung infection," Iroh questioned the doctor quietly as they walked down the hall of Lynn's house, "how will his other wounds heal?"

The Doctor stared hard at Iroh, his tired eyes assessing the man before him, "Truthfully, Mr. Moshi, I am more concerned with the past damage that this boy has suffered through. The scarring aside, I couldn't help but notice that several of his ribs had been broken then set incorrectly, his arms and one leg are in similar condition."

Iroh saw the implied question, and answered it, "Lee has had a very hard life, Doctor. Lee trusts no one and can bring himself to care deeply for no one. Had I known that my nephew was suffering so, I would have taken him someplace safe long before now."

The doctor pauses, "I thought you said that that boy was your grandson, not your nephew?"

Iroh nodded his head, but didn't answer, letting the doctor form whatever conclusion he may; he had more important things on his mind.

Lynn watched all of this in silence. She has known that Lee was damaged, perhaps even broken a little, but she couldn't imagine that the quiet boy she cared for had gone through so much. She'd have to question him on it later, once he was well.

"Doctor," a voice called from the living room, "I think we have enough for you to finish your work."

Lynn ground her teeth; G-Ma had been saving every bronze coin she could for years to get them out of here, and now it was practically gone, used up to save Lee's life.

She didn't regret saving Lee, but she hated that someone had to scrounge for years to be able to afford meager medical bills and some food. She hated that Lee was suffering right now because the numbing drugs were all taken up by the rich fools who sought to hide from their perfect lives. She hated that the doctors had to charge so much just to pay the taxes on their profession. But most of all, she hated this city, that kept her locked in poverty, bearing down on her as soon as happiness showed its face.

"Lynn?" Memphis asked voice colored with concern.

Lynn shook her head and smiled at her large friend, "It's nothing. Just thinking about how great this city is."

Memphis snorted, rolling his eyes at his friends' humor. "Whatever," he grumbled, "We need to talk; I accidentally let slip that Lee was a fire bender, Angel too. I think he might start some trouble."

Lynn felt her face freeze as the fire inside of her ignited. Breathing deeply, she nodded, motioning for Memphis to follow her outside. "Okay," she said as soon as they were out of range of curious ears, "What exactly did you tell him?"

Memphis looked away, "He asked my name, and I told him about it, and about how Angel saved all of us. He asked about her personality, and I let slip that she had fire in her veins, but that Lee was a lot calmer, even though they shared an element. From there he guessed what I was talking about."

Lynn ground her teeth, feeling the anxiety of the past few days catching up to her. "What did you do after that? Did you silence him?"

Memphis shook his head, "I dumped him in the silver district and sealed up our hideout. From what I've heard, he hasn't told anyone what went on in the tunnel."

Lynn nodded, thinking hard about her options; "We can either kill him before he can make any damage, find a way to pay him off, or make him one of our own. If we kill him, it will save us trouble, but we owe him, so that's out. We could pay him off, but G-Ma made us swear not to steal anymore, so that's a no go as well. I don't know how receptive he'll be to joining us, but it's our only option." Decided, Lynn nodded, using sign language to tell Memphis to catch their new friend and bring him to their warren.

Memphis bowed his head and sunk into the ground, disappearing without a trace.

"This type of shit is going to kill me." Lynn mumbled, unaware that she had an audience.

POV Change Sokka

'Try and recruit me, eh? Well, I guess it's a better option than having a bunch of streetwise kids at my throat.' Sokka thought as he watched the girl walk back into the house she and Memphis had just left.

Sokka slunk away from the rooftop he was perched on, fighting the urge to burst into the house and see for himself of this 'Lee' was who he thought he was. "Soon" he mumbled, "Soon I'll have that little fake just where I want him.

As he slipped onto the ground under the ledge he had been hiding on, he felt the ground encase him, and he cursed, already knowing who had him caught.

"You work fast, Mr. Guardsman; I thought I had at least another hour to myself."

The Earth kingdom guard stepped out from his hiding place across the street, "You're more trouble than your worth, kid."

Sokka just grinned, knowing that an arrogant expression would only piss the irritable guard off more.

The guard tightened his grip, making Sokka yelp in pain. "Ow, Ow, Ow! That hurts, you know?"

The guard smirked, "You act all tough, but as soon as pressure is applied, your whine like the child you are."

Sokka let the guard see his pissed off expression, but inside he was apathetic about the whole encounter; as soon as he left this stupid city, this asshole guard was going to die, he could tell. Just like he could tell that there was someone with a powerful hold on the ground not twenty feet away, taking control of the situation little by little, swaying the ground to his or her will.

Sokka knew what was going to happen long before the guard was encased in stone and he was free. "About time, kid. I thought I was going to die of old age before you acted."

Sokka heard Memphis chuckle as the ground about ten feet from him opened up, showing the street boy standing on a pillar in another tunnel, much like the last one they had been in. "I didn't know if you wanted me to save you or not," his deep tone sounded, "so I let you sweat for a little while."

Sokka shook his head at the younger boy, hating that he was being charmed up. "Whatever. So are you going to take me to your group or not? I can't just stand around all day."

Memphis scowled, "So that was you on the rooftop. I thought it was, but I didn't want to make some trouble before i had to. You're lucky Lynn didn't fry your ass."

Sokka grinned smugly, "I'm great at hiding 'til the heat wears down. Comes from a long time living with Aang. "

Memphis just shook his head, motioning Sokka down into the whole.

Nodding, Sokka glance at the still encased guard "Let him go as soon as you close up our escape route. He's probably already almost out of air."

Memphis sighed, "You're not going to let this go, are you?" At Sokka's frown, he just shrugged, "It gets a lot harder to guard the tunnels if we have people actually looking for a problem."

Sokka nodded, understanding, "I know what you mean, but I can't allow you to kill someone out of convenience. As soon as we can't be traced, let him go."

Memphis nodded and motioned down the tunnel, signaling that it was a good idea for them to be going then.

As Sokka walked with the other boy down a ways, he heard the guard shouting for help, and smiled, these were good kids after all.

POV Change Lynn

'Fuck,' Lynn thought as she saw the rationing sheet she was supposed to be reviewing, 'we don't even have enough to last the month, much less to next season. Maybe if we tightened the spread and got in some good grains by the next moon we can just make it but-'

*Knock-Knock*

Lynn's internal planning was interrupted by Memphis and her new guest. "Come in," she said, deciding that politeness would help their cause.

Memphis came in first, ushering in the amazed looking Water tribe boy after him.

"Wow," Sokka exclaimed as soon as the door was shut, "when you said warren, Memphis, I pictured some type of underground sewer, but this-"Sokka stopped talking and just shook his head in awe.

Lynn smiled at the older boy's exuberance, "Our warren houses over a thousand people in times of need and can store up to five months of food. This place was built by the founders of Ba Sing Se long before any of us were even conceived to be a safe house for troops in times of crisis. Since it was forgotten, we just sort of moved in and liked it."

Sokka nodded his head, marveling at the intricate designs etched into the walls and ceiling. "It's beautiful. Did it come like this, or did you all make improvements?"

Lynn grinned, "It came bare, but over the generations, we have put our own touches on the living space. Since we have benders form all over, we get the best of all worlds."

"And the worst." Sokka pointed out, voice and eyes hard and condemning.

Lynn sighed, "I know it much be hard for you to see this with unbiased eyes, but no one race if better than others. Or worse, as you like to say, than any other. I know that you have reason to hate the fire nation, but I won't let you disrupt our lives without even knowing what our members are even like."

Sokka nodded and held his hand up, "I know. I'm not going to make a fuss until I know what's what. I'm going to give you till next month to make me see some type of proof that fire benders aren't the evil, soul-sucking monsters I believe them to be."

Lynn nodded her head, "Fair enough. We'll start right now." Lynn held her hand out, and in it, a small flame flickered, white and pure against her tanned flesh.

Sokka yelped, "Wait, even you're a fire bender?"

Lynn nodded, "I was the child of an earth kingdom woman and a fire nation soldier who fell in love against the odds. When my father's commanding officer heard that he my father was having relations with an earth kingdom woman, he had him court-martialed and sent to prison back in the fire nation capitol."

Sokka just shook his head, "I can't believe it. A fire nation soldier fell in love? With an earth kingdom woman of all people? No way."

Lynn shrugged, "Believe what you want. My Father was a good man. He fought for the beliefs of his country and his people."

Sokka laughed bitterly, "It was fire nation soldiers following orders that killed my mom; that destroyed my village. I can't just accept your explanation."

Lynn frowned, "I'm not going to debate the merits of the fire nation military with you. I'm just going to tell you the truth; not all fire nation people are twisted, not all fire benders are evil puppets of the thrown."

Lynn took a deep breath, "We better get on with the tour before the others start coming back from work. It'll be easier for you to get to know the people here if you know where you're going."

There's the next chapter! I hope ya'll liked it.

BTW. I hadn't intended for Lynn to be a major character, but I guess I can't just dump her now. Oh, well.

Oh, yeah, and since no one guessed the song or why it was there (Though I got a lot of good guesses!) I didn't put any requests in this chapter. Don't worry, though. If you guess the meaning behind this name, you can pick something them ;}

Any ways, till next time.


	4. In the midst of maddness

Hey, ya'll. How has it been? I know that I haven't updated this since way back in 2010, but this is the new chapter for my Ba Sing Sei arc fiction. I make no money from this, and I don't own the characters that exist in the show. Only the ones that I created. Enjoy. R/R

PREVIOUSLY: Lynn took a deep breath, "We better get on with the tour before the others start coming back from work. It'll be easier for you to get to know the people here if you know where you're going."

Sokka couldn't believe how blasé she was being about this; she was a fire bender! In Ba Sing Sei, of all the places! "What the fuck," he said, half angry half breathless, "Do you think is going to happen? You're a FIRE bender in the middle of the last city in the world _without_ fire benders in it! If- if people found out they would-"

"Kill us." Lynn said, her voice deadly calm, and Sokka could see her weighing her options, "They would break into this place and they would tear through everything and everyone; fire bender or no, and we would all die. That is," here her voice dropped to a whisper, "If I let you live long enough to tell someone."

She advanced upon Sokka, her hands glowing with her fire, "B-but," Sokka stuttered, regretting that he had given up his weapons upon arrival, "You owe me! I helped you save this Lee person's life!"

Lynn nodded, but her face was cold, "And I spared your life. I haven't killed you yet, but you should know; if I, at any time, think that you would endanger the children that I protect. . ."

Here, she snapped her fingers together, extinguishing the flame. "I will end you."

Sokka gulped, sweat trickling down his spine, "So long as you can prove to me that you are not agents of the fire lord, I don't care what powers you have!"

Lynn retreated to a safe distance, nodding, "You should be able to tell as soon as you start spending time with us; too many of us have been hurt by the fire nation to ever be agents of it."

Sokka nodded, rubbing his neck to have something to do with his hands. "I'm going to try to understand what it is that you do here. You just need you to know that this is hard for me; aside from what happened to my village, I've had to suffer through the crown prince of the Fire Nation chasing me and my family across the world in a bid to kill us."

Lynn smiled tightly, looking pained, "If you're talking about that kid, Zuko, then you have a couple of facts wrong. He was banished from the Fire Nation when he was younger than you are now. The scar on his face that his father gave him is proof of that. And he wasn't really bent on destroying you all; he just needed to Avatar to be able to go home without his father killing him."

Sokka just stood there, his mouth hanging open in disbelief, "What?" He screeched, "I didn't know that; why didn't anyone tell me!"

Lynn shook her head, "Most people don't know. They're just left to guess. Not a lot of people like to think about a father who can burn his son so severely and then banish him from the only home he's ever known." Lynn's voice turned brittle, "And then demands of him an impossible task."

Sokka actually shuddered to ask, "What task?"

Lynn gave him a 'duh' look, "Capturing the Avatar. It's the only way that Zuko would have been able to return to the Fire Nation without being attacked on sight. But that was way back; almost three years before the Avatar even woke up."

Sokka's Jaw dropped, "But then how did his dad know that the Aang was going to wake up; he'd been gone for over a hundred years!"

Lynn smiled sadly, "He didn't. Zuko's father meant it to be an impossible task. Zuko couldn't be killed, since Azula might have died before taking the thrown, but he didn't want to give Zuko a task that would allow for him to come home either. Not before he was needed, at least."

Sokka actually felt sick; such hate for his own son. . . Sokka couldn't understand it.

"Jeez," Sokka said, "No wonder he's psychotic."

Lynn started laughing, and Sokka looked at her questioningly, but she shook her head, motioning to the clock behind him.

"The others should be getting here soon; we need to get you to the arena so that we can all have that meet and greet and get back to our days."

Sokka cocked an eyebrow at her, but didn't argue, already intimidated by the ominous way that she said 'the others.'

The Arena that they stood in looked almost like an opera house, but instead of a stage for performances, they have a long line of podiums set up on a raised platform. "Wow," Sokka exclaimed, "This place is huge!" Sokka couldn't help but stare around him at the scenes painted on the various walls. "Is this the first rising on Sozin's comet?"

Lynn nodded, "That was drawn about fifty years ago by one of the few people to survive that day. Back then this place was used for refugees. A lot of them put their touch on the place, and, after it was abandoned because of disrepair, we kept it that way."

Sokka nodded, taking in the details of the picture; it was beautiful. "I wonder how whoever it was who made this could make it look so real. Alost like, if you looked away for just a second, it might just step out of the wall and burn you."

Lynn, though she hid it behind a fake yawn, laughed, glad that Sokka was finding something interesting besides his will to destroy the family that she had created for herself.

"It's all very good," She said, "I'll show you some of the others paintings later, once we've all met."

Sokka nodded and sat on the chair that Memphis had made for him, anxious about meeting an unknown number of people without a single weapon on him.

Memphis noticed his agitation, and correctly identified its source. "Don't worry," he said, "Not everyone in a warrior. Most of them are just farmers and the like."

Sokka grimaced, "Truth be told, it's farmers that I fear; never trust a man with a pitchfork at your back, my Gran-Gran used to say."

Memphis chuckled, but handed Sokka a small dagger, "If it makes you feel better, I've been told to protect you, so even in a pitchfork came your way, I'd block it."

And strangely, the thought of someone like Memphis protecting him did make Sokka feel more at ease.

Breathing deeply, Lynn blew into a pipe nearby, which gave a piercing screech and then a long, low call. "Now," Lynn said, breathless, "They all know what's up."

And kids started pouring in, different attire giving the room a filled up look, although only half of it was full so far.

Sokka clutched the dagger tightly, wishing that he had never come down the rabbit hole and landed in this mess.

Lynn allowed the room to fill more, and, by the time she stepped up to the nearest podium, there was no room for people still trying to come in. "Everyone in the front and middle," she shouted, "scoot up so that people have enough room to stand! I want everyone in this room before I count to five, and I want silence, you hear? Silence!"

All eyes were on her as everyone settled down as she counted slowly. Sokka was shocked to see how fast everyone got into place under her firm glare. By the time that she reached five, everyone had made room and were staring at her intently.

"Good," she said, "Now, I know that the last time I called you all here is when Lee was hurt, and I know that a lot of you got upset about it, but this meeting has a much lighter tone." She motioned to Sokka, his face heating as over a hundred eyes flicked to him. "This is Sokka of the water tribe. He is here because he believes that we are spies from the fire nation," Sokka felt rather ridiculous as everyone either snorted or outright laughed at this. Lynn hushed then with a hand, "Now, now," she said, "Be nice. It is understandable for him; he has been wronged by the Fire Notion, and he is suspicious of all Fire Benders because of it. I want all of you to give him every curtsey that you would afford someone you have known your whole life; make him feel at home here."

The crowd set to whispering, until finally, they agreed in one massive voice that they would.

Lynn nodded before moving on to various other topics of discussion, ranging from rations to medicine to war outfits. Sokka just sat back and watched the way that the people interacted with each other; people who were clearly earth benders were chatting with people who looked to be water tribesmen, pale clashed with tan, brown eyes and amber and blue all looked at each other, and no one was fighting, no one was commenting on anything about one race being superior to the other. Sokka didn't know whether to scream at them or to applaud them. Even though the earth and the water tribes were on the same side of the war, they still fought about everything from clothing to war strategies; this uninterrupted peace was astonishing.

Sokka didn't know how long it was that he watched them interact, but before he knew it, Lynn had dismissed them and she was walking over to him bearing a bowl of some kind.

"That went surprisingly well," she said, handing the bowl to Sokka, "at least no one threw anything at you for calling us all spies."

Sokka just stared at her, seeing eyes that were so like the Fire Prince's that is gave him chills.

"This place is odd; I've never seen people who were so different act like this." Sokka said in a breathy voice, still staring out at the now empty room, "Everyone was so . . . open. So calm about being near each other."

Lynn nodded, "They are the children that have been raised as refugees of one culture or another. They bond together to fight off the memories of destruction rather than blame someone who had no part in the birth of their pain. That's how we survive down here, away from the hate and prejudice." Here she paused, eyes shining, "It's my hope that when this war is over, they will remember what they learned here and take it into the outside world. That way, settling into peace between the nations will be that much smoother."

Sokka nodded, and though he thought that her plan was nothing more than a fool's dream, he hoped that it would work. He looked down at the bowl in his hand and asked, "What the heck is this for?"

Lynn laughed, "Dinner is soon; if you don't have a bowl, you don't get fed. I rationed you out a percentage of our stock; in about three weeks, we will pay back that silver you gave us for Lee's medicine."

Sokka started at the mention of his purpose here; to find out who this Lee guy really was. "Yeah," he said, standing up, "When do I get to meet this Lee person?"

Lynn's smiled disappeared, leaving her amber eyes hard, "You don't." And then she was gone, bounding off into the general direction of their kitchen.

Memphis sighed, "You just don't let go, do you?" he asked, shaking his head at Sokka as though he were a naughty child.

Sokka puffed out his chest, "Never! This guy has tried to kill the people that I love more often than my forgiving nature can stand! If he's here in Ba Sing Sei, that means that we aren't safe."

Memphis huffed at him, "This is Lee, not that guy. You may have had a past with the prince of the fire nation, but Lee hasn't done a damned thing to you. You have to accept that these two are not the same person. You've never even met Lee, so there is no way that you could have come to a valid conclusion that he is this Prince that keeps hunting you."

"I know, I know in my heart that this guy is the same one that has hunted us for the past year. The same guy that threatened to burn down my entire village to get to the Avatar, who held children hostage to make Aang go with him onto his psycho boat."

Memphis shrugged, "You just have to trust Lynn; she may look young, but she's wise for her years. She has a plan, I'm sure of it; that's why she let you live, that's why she has allowed you to come into our home when she would have destroyed any other threat to our safety."

Sokka said nothing, but walked with him into the kitchen, where tables were laid out in great rows; enough of them to seat half of Ba Sing Sei. "Whoa," Sokka said, eyeing the nearest one with awe, "How long did it take to make these? You could fit thirty people easy on one side!"

Memphis chuckled, "Yeah," he said, "It took was a long time to get all of these tables together. Most of them we had a swamp bender make."

Sokka cocked an eye, "Those inbreeding creeps? I didn't know that they came this far out of the swamps."

Memphis gave a great bear like laugh, "Naw, only the most isolated of them do that; the rest are just like the rest of us. Well," he conceded at Sokka's incredulous look, "maybe they are a bit eccentric, but most of are, in a way. There bending it top notch, though."

He motioned to an exquisite table nearby, where a group of older kids sat with their bowls full of some kind of delicious looking soup.

"How did they make the tables, though? I thought that they were water benders."

Memphis nodded, "They are. They use the water in the trees to move them into the position that they want; the most skilled can even put designs in them. That's what makes the swamp tribes so special. They can use their ability to make things that they sell at market. The coolest thing about their furniture is that they leave no tool marks, so it all has a smooth, perfect look about it."

Sokka admired all of the tables that they passed, even the ones that weren't made by the swamp benders. "They're all beautiful," he said, "They have such intricate carvings and staining that it's hard to believe that they sit in the middle of a crowded lunch hall, not some lord's manor."

Memphis nodded again, smiling at the envy in Sokka's voice, "Yeah, most of this stuff would go for thousands of gold on market, but since it was all gifts, we keep it instead of sell it. As Lynn said; we've had all of the benders here at one time or another. Everything that we use was made by bending; so it's all the best."

Sokka scoffed, "I doubt that a fire bender could make anything. All I've ever seen them do is destroy."

Memphis scowled down at him, "Angel made this place our home. She saved the lives of everyone that you see here, either through her own methods, or through the people that she had saved. Lynn has made this place flourish in Angel's absence; giving everyone something to call their own. Half of the things that we have here right now were made with the help of fire benders. In the kitchen right now, fire benders are cooking the food that we will be eating in minutes. Even though you don't see them, fire benders are everywhere in this city; cooking food, making clothes, saving lives. Don't look down on an entire race because you have been wronged by a handful"

Memphis walked away, fists clenched, leaving Sokka to wander over to a line that was forming near him. Even as Sokka put his bowl out to receive food, he saw the pale amber eyes of the person holding the ladle, and felt his insides curdle. Now, every time he placed an order, every time he bought clothes, he would think about the person who had made them, think about amber eyes and pale skin and raging fires.

That was the end of my new chapter; I really hope that you liked it! Read, and Review, if you please.


	5. Sometimes in the morning

This is the fifth chapter. IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW: This makes reference to the cartoon, where Toph and Iroh talked up on the cliff. It also puts Iroh, Katara, Aang, and Toph in the same room together. The reason that they do not recognize Iroh as the uncle of Zuko is because, in this, they have never seen Iroh clearly, and when they did, he was in Fire Nation robes and had his hair up in a ridiculous (FIRE NATION) way. In this, he is wearing green, and his hair is in a more normal style, and he had gotten a tan since coming to Ba Sing Sei. He had also lost a lot a weight due to poverty.

BANDON-MAKES-A-START

For almost a week Sokka had been escaping the guards and leaving off with the street kids that were fast becoming his friends. Almost a week of finding the first really comfortable surroundings since he had left home, and finding them in a warren full of people that he should hate, at that.

Sokka couldn't put into words how he felt when he was running down the tunnels with Memphis or when he was sparring with some of the older kids while the younger ones cheered him on. It was almost intoxicating, getting away from his traveling companions and going to a place where having powers or not didn't matter.

As he lay down for bed, his body aching from a long day helping the Warreners (as he now called them) repair some of the tile in the communal bathhouse, Sokka smiled towards the ceiling, not caring that his friends were whispering about him in the living room.

BANDON-MAKES-A-POV-CHANGE: GAang.

I'm worried about him, you guys," Katara whispered to the others, who shared her feelings, "He's not being like himself lately; he's never gone to such lengths to get away from us before."

Aang nodded, hating the hurt he could hear in Katara's voice, "I know that he likes to go to the cities whenever he can, but this is different. For the past week he's been doing everything that he can to make sure that he can't be followed. He keeps these new friends of his so secret that we have no idea what he's getting himself into!"

Toph nodded, "He's lying, I know that for sure. It's not even like they're good lies. What could be so important that he has to hide it from us? I mean; we're his family!"

Everyone nodded, distress making their faces tight.

"We just have to work harder to follow him, then, and make sure that whatever he's doing, it won't get him into trouble." Katara said, resolve making her voice rise.

Sighing, everyone went to their bed gear, allowing the peace of sleep to sooth their worries.

Aang had barely closed his eyes when he was dragged into the spirit world, his body left behind in the physical plane. Yelping, he landed on a stone that bruised his spiritual butt. Casting a peeved look around him, searching out the person that had brought him here.

When he didn't see anyone, he grew confused, jumping off of the rock and walking to the edge of a nearby forest, the opening to which was bordered on two sides by high reeds, and on the parallel a clear lake. "Hello?" he called, "Is anyone out there?"

Reeds near him began to shake, and, with his normal stately manner gone, Roku stepped out, his face heavily creased with anxiousness. "We have no time!" he gasped at Aang, hauling the boy into the reeds.

Aang yelped but didn't fight the spirit of his past life, trusting the other Avatar without thought.

"Aang," Roku said urgently, "Time drawls too close and you have yet to discover this for yourself."

Aang opened his mouth to ask what it was that he should have found out, but Roku motioned for silence. "You must understand, Aang, it was not meant for you to awaken as you did. Your part in this war was not to be."

"What do you-?" Aang tried to ask, but Roku clamped a hand over his mouth.

"When you went into that storm, it was your own powers that caused you to capsize, your own feelings making the water turbulent. That being that case, it was against the laws of the Spirit Counsel to have you awaken again, until it was a time of natural selection; until you were meant to. But one of the spirits, I don't know which, pulled the strings of fate from our hands and put that young water tribeswoman so close to you, that made her use her powers, accidentally bringing you back into the play of fate."

Roku paused, straining his ears at some noise that only he could hear. He continued with renewed fervor, his eyes searching the reeds for some sign of duplicity, "It was not to be, your place in this war, and so the spirits combined their powers and made a new avatar, one that would be able to defend the world, but one that we could be sure would not seek the same fate as his father."

"What are you-?" Aang tried to ask, having trouble following his mentor.

"Shush," Roku hissed, "I cannot explain right now; there is no time. You must find this second Avatar, Aang, he is the only one that can save the people that you love the most from certain death, he is the only one that can hope to help you complete your goal. You must find him, Aang; the fate of the world depends upon it."

Aang felt his eyes widen, his thoughts consumed with images of his friends dead; Toph, her strong body broken, Sokka, his pride fallen to the humiliation of death- Katara, her beautiful face contorted with the terror bred only from the end of one's life.

Aang nodded emphatically, "But who is this person, Roku? How will I find-"

"My great grandson, Aang," Roku said, "He is the person that will save you and your friends. If you cannot find him, and convince him to participate in the destruction of the Fire Lord, the world will fall to ruin and the spirits will once again be forced into the horrors of abandoning their peoples."

Aang couldn't understand, the spirit world fading around him as he was forced into his body again. "But Roku," he screamed, "how will I find him?"

Roku said something, but his lips moved in a parody of speech, no sound coming from them.

And Aang woke up, the bright light of dawn shining through the windows near him, his body drenched in sweat. For several seconds he lay there, his heart beating faster than he had ever felt it beat before, until, with a great effort, he jumped us, yelling for his friends to come to him, not caring for his almost nudity.

As Toph and Katara came in, both already fully dressed, he gushed the information at them, not a breath between his words.

Katara and Toph frowned, "Slow down, twinkeltoes." Toph said, "I didn't catch any of that. Repeat it all again, with a couple of break in between sentences, okay?"

Aang couldn't breathe as he stared at them, last night's message ringing in his ears. "Roku summoned me in my dream," he explained, "He told me that the spirits created another Avatar, one to take my place."

Katara frowned, "How can they do that? I thought only one Avatar was allowed in the physical world at any given time. But beyond that, didn't they see that you would awaken?"

Aang shook his head, remembering the urgency of Roku's message, "The Spirits couldn't intervene, since it was my emotions that caused the storm that forced me into the ice. The Spirit's counsel forbade anyone to do anything that would free me before the appointed time, and Roku didn't specify, but I think that that time was probably long after the world would have been destroyed by Ozai."

"So they created another you?" Toph asked, skeptical, "I don't see how that's any better than freeing you from the ice. Wouldn't it have been more dangerous to have someone outside of the Avatar circle given powers like that?"

Aang nodded, having had the same thoughts, "But they did, they made a person that could protect the world, they gave him powers like mine. Roku said that I have to find him, or we are all going to die."

He looked at Katara, his heart heavy with despair, "He said that if we can't find this person, then the world would end and everything that we fought for would be undone, and then the spirits would have to abandon their people."

Aang paused, "Roku said that this had happened before," Aang looked at Katara, then Toph, hoping that they would know something about it, but they both shrugged, looking confused, "Roku said that this person would need to be persuaded to help us take down the Fire Lord, that he wouldn't do it otherwise."

Katara frowned, "But why wouldn't this person, whoever it is, want to help take down a tyrant?"

Aang shook his head, shrugging, "Roku didn't say, he only told me that this person was his great grandson."

Toph made a noise of aggravation, "I wish we could have learned about this, you know, sooner. The comet is only two months away, and we still have to train you, much less some little brat with a god-complex."

Aang just sighed in aggravation, noticing for the first time that Sokka wasn't there to hear this message, "Where's Sokka?" he asked.

Katara's eyes watered and she passed him a note, "I found this when I went into his room this morning."

Aang read the hastily scribbled note, and felt ill. "He's left?" he gasped, unable to think of why their friend would desert them.

Katara sniffed, "It says that it's only for a little while, but I just can't think that he'd leave us without telling us where he was going!" Toph rubbed her back awkwardly, "It'll be fine!" The blind girl told her with false enthusiasm. "He just needs some guy time, that's all. You know how men get; they always need to be doing something. We just have to wait for him to come to his senses and then we can kick his butt when he gets back!"

Katara smiled slightly, worries making her look older than she was.

Aang laughed overly loudly, "I know!" he said, "I heard some of the people in the street talking about some great tea shop in town. They said that they have the best brews in all of Ba Sing Sei. Would should go there, have a nice time. Who knows, Sokka might be there, and we can beat him then."

Katara smiled at him, nodding her head. Toph stuck out her tongue, her dislike of tea one of the things that kept her in the house, away from the many tea selling shops and stands in Ba Sing Sei. "I don't know," she said, "What about finding this grand whatever? Don't you think that we should do that instead?"

Aang sighed, "I hope that we can ask a few people when we're out. I didn't know that Roku had even had a child; normally the power of the Avatar can't be channeled through a baby."

Katara and Toph looked confused, "What does that mean?" Katara asked.

Aang shrugged, "Avatar's are really powerful. If an Avatar happens to get pregnant, or get someone else pregnant, the baby dies in the womb, or shortly after, from the amount of bending power that they are born with."

"What if the baby that came out didn't have powers? Would it survive then?" Toph asked.

Aang shrugged, "If it came out without powers, it would be just like a normal baby. But the chances of it not having powers are so slim as to be unreal. Bending ability travels through the parents, so if the parent was an Avatar, then that baby would have the original power of the Avatar, in Roku's case, fire. But the bending would be so great that the power could consume the mother, and often consumes the baby shortly after birth. Most Avatars' don't even take that risk. "

Katara felt sick. "So the person that we're going after in a natural born fire bender who doesn't want to help us take down the fire nation? How in the world are we supposed to do this, Aang? Did Roku even tell you where this person is, or how to persuade him?"

Aang sighed, realizing how hard this task was going to be, "He tried, but I think the other spirits cast me out. I don't think that Roku was supposed to tell me about any of this. I hope that he's not in trouble."

Katara and Toph looked worried, "Well," Toph said, "The only thing that we can do is try to look for this guy, and hope that he doesn't kill us for our efforts."

Katara and Aang agreed, and they all got ready to head out on the city, their hearts heavy at the thought of doing so without Sokka.

BANDON-MAKES-A-POV-CHANGE: Iroh.

Iroh sighed as he pulled out his favorite tea blend; Things had been going very well, so far, what with people giving larger tips than usual whenever they found out about Zuko, but it had still been a very long morning, with more people than usual buying things.

Taking a deep drink, he turned as the door opened, the bells above it chiming. The contents of his cup fell to the floor as he choked on his jasmine, staring purple faced at the Avatar and his friends, who had just blithely walked into his shop.

The sightless girl that he had helped so long before looked in his direction and smiled, running over to pat him on the back while laughing. "Hey there, Grandpa! I'm glad that you made it to Ba Sing Sei!"

Iroh smiled through tears as her harsh pounding nearly sent him to the floor. "And I am glad to see you, as well, little one. Are these the friends that you had spoken of?"

The girl nodded, "Yeah," she said, pointing to the dark skinned beauty, "This is Katara." She pointed at the young boy next to her, "And this is Aang, the Avatar."

Iroh smiled at them all, "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon, young ones. Would you care for some tea? Or perhaps a cake or pastry?"

Aang quirked his head to the side, sure that he had seen the old tea vendor before, but unable to recall from where. "How do you do," Aang asked politely, "I would love some tea, thank you. Do you have Ginseng?"

Iroh nodded, smiling at the boy before looking at the two girls, "I would like Jasmine," Katara said, "And a small coffee cake, please."

Iroh nodded, "And you, Toph?"

Toph stuck her tongue out, "I don't like tea." she said plainly.

Iroh erupted in laughter, "Oh, but you have never tried MY tea, though."

Toph shrugged, "All tea is bad tea, as far as I'm concerned. I'll take some hot water with lemon, if you can, though, and a large slice of cake."

Iroh nodded, chuckling, "And what kind of cake would you like, Toph? We have coffee, cheese, red velvet, vanilla, or strawberry."

Toph shrugged, "You pick; I eat them all. Whichever you think tastes best."

"Ah," Iroh said, bowing towards Toph in mock difference, "To be trusted with choosing the cake of one such as you is a great honor."

Toph laughed, "You're so funny, Grandpa."

Iroh smiled, having always imagined having a houseful of grand children and great grandchildren.

Toph frowned, "Why are you sad, Grandpa?"

Iroh sighed, "For many reason, young one," Iroh set several pots on the stove, heating them, "My nephew, the one I spoke with you about, has been wounded greatly in a mugging. I am very worried about his recovery thus far. He is strong, but . . ."

Toph frowned, patting the old man on the arm. "I'm sure with someone like you to look after him, he'll be alright."

"Did you report the attack to the guards?" Katara asked, always one to follow the letter of the law.

Iroh shook his head, "There is little law in the lower regions of Ba Sing Sei, and they would not care for the worries of a poor old tea vendor with barely enough to provide meager medical care to his only surviving family."

The three children looked sad, but Iroh smiled, urging them to take the cake that he was now offering them. "Such is not your cares, I am sure that all will be fine; Lee is a strong young man, and will survive this like he has survived much worse in the past. He will live long enough to make me a great grand uncle yet!"

Aang, his focus falling to their mission from Roku, placed a hand on the old man's arm, "Would you happen to know," Aang said, "Who Avatar Roku's great grandson is? It's very important."

Iroh looked at the Avatar seriously, harshly, trying to gauge if the boy knew their identity or if his question were innocent. "The Avatar Roku had one child; a daughter, who was a member of the Fire Nation court until her death. Her daughter, Ursa, was a great and kind woman." Iroh paused, considering his next words carefully, "But she was killed by her husband in his bid for power."

Katara and Aang gasped, "What kind of husband could do that to his own wife?"

Iroh shook his head sadly, remember the days before and after Ursa had been killed.

"Her husband was a young man still, with much lust for power. There is much to tell you, but I have a tea shop to run; if you don't mind waiting until I am off of work, I will tell all that I know about the Fire Nation, and the Great Grandson of the proud Avatar Roku.

Everyone nodded, sitting at one of the tables closest to the windows of the shop. Aang beamed around, "See," he said, "something good did come from a tea shop!"

Toph kicked him under the table, making the boy wince.

Katara smiled, "Yeah," she said, "Today has turned out to be okay."

Little did they know that the chances of them getting anywhere near the object of their search was vanishing out of the back door, running to the tiny house where his nephew was still holed up.

BANDON-MAKES-AN-END

This is the fifth chapter in my Ba Sing Sei arc story. Please review.


	6. Who said the truth would set you Free?

ArrayePL: Here you go! Thank you for the review!

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Shadow entity: This is probably the story that I like writing the most. If it weren't I wouldn't bother doing it at all, since I only get three reviews per chapter, if that. ;{

IMPORTANT: I have seventeen people on my alert list, but only five of them have bothered to review at all. Is my story good enough to read to pass the time, but not worth the effort to review?

And, if you have reviewed, and done it on chapter five, then I would ask that you also do so for chapters 1-4. It just makes me feel good. A couple seconds of your time goes a long way to making my day. It sucks to know that my writing isn't even worth that.

BANDON-MAKES-A-START

Iroh sank to the floor of the tea shop, clutching his aching sides. "Oh," He moaned, "My nephew was right; I do need to exercise more often." Breathing deeply, Iroh was glad that Zuko was now safe with G-Ma and Lynn, tucked away in some remote warren, instead of out in the open, as he had been.

Standing on wobbly legs, Iroh peaked out the kitchen door, making sure that the children were still exactly where he had left them. The young Avatar was frowning at something that the dark skinned girl had said, and Toph was laughing at the both of them.

Smiling, Iroh grabbed a large piece of cherry cake and a fresh glass of jasmine tea, walking out to join them at their table for a moment.

"I see that you three are already done with your treats. If you would like, you may come back once I have closed, instead of waiting around until noon." Iroh told them kindly, sitting at the empty chair.

"We don't mind," Katara said, "We didn't have anything to do today but find out about Roku's great grandson."

"And why do you need to know, if you don't mind my asking?" Iroh tried to keep the anxiousness from his voice, but he could tell that they caught onto it.

"We won't do anything bad to him," Aang assured him, "We just need his help with something."

Iroh couldn't keep the shock from his face; What could they need Zuko for?

"And you would be willing to accept the help from this person, regardless of who he is?" Iroh asked, idly rubbing his goatee.

They frowned, looking at each other, "Yeah, I mean," Aang said, "how bad can he be? If he's Roku's great grandson, he can't be that old. It's not like he can be a general or anything. I'm sure that we can convince him to help us."

Iroh nodded, biting his tongue to keep from telling them about his nephew. "Before I tell you who he is, you must swear to me that this thing that you need help with will not harm him in any way. I will not betray a child."

Toph blushed, not liking that the older man that she respected would think that they were like that, "We won't hurt him, no matter who he is. We promise that we will protect him as much as we can in the task that we need his help for."

Iroh nodded, sighing as he leaned back in his chair to look at the clock that he kept above the door. "You still have an hour and a half until my shop will be empty. I suggest that the three of you get comfortable, if you do intend to stay here until then." They nodded that they would, and Iroh left to the back room.

"They are young," he muttered to himself, "impossibly young for such things as war."

Looking at them through the crack in the door, Iroh shook his head, less edgy now that he had their word that, no matter what, they would not hurt him nephew.

BANDON-MAKES-A-BREAK

The last hour had been unbearable for everyone. Toph, Katara, and Aang were only too happy to help Iroh close his shop down. Iroh asked the patrons to leave thirty minutes early, citing that he wished to visit his nephew before he went to the market to pick up supplies. No one made a fuss about having to depart sooner than they would have liked, only giving the aged man pats on the shoulder and leaving ample tips upon the tables as they left.

Lighting a few lamps before closing the blinds against the noon sun, Iroh motioned for the three children to come into the back room, where they could all sit without having to strain to see one another.

Taking a seat near the fire, Iroh sighed at the eager faces watching him. "I have your word, Avatar, that no matter what information is given here, nothing leaves this room?"

Aang frowned, but nodded.

Iroh looked at Katara and Toph, both of whom nodded hesitantly.

Rubbing his tired eyes, Iroh began, "The tale of Avatar Roku is one that I am sure that you are all well versed in, true?"

When he got uncertain glances, Iroh waved his hand, "It is no matter. I will explain it, in due course." Running his fingers through his sash, he continued, "Roku had one daughter, as I have already told you, who went on to marry a general on the fire nation. They had two children, one who died shortly after birth, and one that survived. Ursa, the stronger of the two, grew into a beautiful young lady, who would come to catch the eye of a very powerful, very important man." Sighing again, Iroh took in the expectant faces around him, "That man was Fire Lord Ozai."

Silence rang like a blast through the dim room, heavy breathing the only sign of life.

"What are you saying?" Katara asked softly, her voice merely a whisper, "Are you telling us that the granddaughter of the Avatar Roku married the grandson of Sozin?"

Iroh nodded, closing his eyes, "They were young still, barely older than you are now. They met in a garden and fell in love. It was not until several years later, after the miscarriage of their third child, a boy, that Ozai fell to the darkness within him." Iroh took a drink of his tea, unsure how to continue, "Ozai became insatiable. Unstable, if you will. He thirsted for power. He was no longer the naïve young man that he had been. Ursa feared for him, tried for years to change him back into the loving husband that he had been, but she could not. She chose, instead, to concentrate on raising her children as best she could in a world so filled with hate."

Aang took a deep drink of his tea, face slightly green, "If Ursa married the fire lord, and had children with him, does that mean-?"

"Please wait until I am done, young Avatar," Iroh admonished, "I haven't told you the full extent of this."

Aang nodded, though he still looked sick.

"Ursa realized quickly that he son, Zuko, was very different form her daughter, Azula. Where Azula was callous, Zuko was kind. They were like night and day, her children, in both looks and in temperance. Zuko favored his mother, who was fair skinned with the lightest amber eyes and full lips, covered by midnight black hair. Azula was her father in miniature, with waving brown hair, crimson tinted amber eyes, and strong, haughty features." Sighing, Iroh rubbed his face tiredly, "It was to be expected that Ozai would favor his daughter, who was so like him. Ozai neglected his son, who was neither as fierce as Azula nor as powerful a bender. With his mother's love, Zuko could look past this, and did for many years, until he turned twelve."

"What happened then?" Toph asked, unsettles by the waves of agony coming off of the old man.

"Ozai's brother, Iroh, who had been on campaign, lost his only child, a son, to the soldiers of Ba Sing Sei. Iroh had been devastated and ended up having to withdraw from the six hundred day siege of Ba sing Sei to return to his home country and bury his son in the family plot next to the grave of his wife." Iroh paused, feeling the sadness gripping him again, "Iroh could not command his troops any longer, and without him the siege crumbled, allowing for Ba Sing Sei to rebuild. Ozai used this as an excuse to lobby his father, Fire Lord Azulon, for permission to cut Iroh out of the line of ascension. Azulon had seen that Ozai was using the bereavement of his brother to further his power, and demanded that Ozai either sacrifice his only son or step down as an heir."

Katara gasped, clutching her hand to her mouth in horror, "How could he do that? Didn't he love Zuko?"

Iroh smiled bitterly, "Azulon loved nothing but conquest. He was a cold man whose only redeeming feature lied in his sense of fair play. Ozai had tried to take Iroh's rightful place through the death of a son, and so Ozai had to suffer the same." Iroh shuddered, glad that his nephew had not died. "Azulon had not thought that Ozai would be able to kill his only son and heir, but instead expected him to step down."

"He didn't?" Toph asked, voice coated with revulsion.

"No," Iroh spat, "Ozai agreed to sacrifice his twelve year old son in a bid for power. Ursa, being a loving mother, begged that Ozai not harm her child, begged that he step down and live with her in the castle as an aide. Ozai had sneered at her, deeming her love for the weaker of his two children indecent. He told her that the only way to save the son that she loved so much was for Azulon to die, leaving no one else but him to rule."

"What did she do?" Aang asked, hoping that it hadn't come to that.

"She did what she had to do." Iroh said softly, "The eve of the ceremony in which Zuko would be sacrificed, she snuck into the chambers of Fire Lord Azulon and killed him. In the night she stole into Zuko's room and told him that all that she had done was for him. She warned him that he should not lose himself to the poisonous world that his father had created. And then she was gone."

"What happened?" Katara gasped, "Did they catch her?"

Iroh shook his head, "She left the country, fleeing in the dark of the night to lands unknown. I have heard rumors here and there of a woman matching her description trying to find the last of the air benders, but nothing concrete enough to merit notice."

"I thought that Aang was the last air bender?" Toph asked, coking her head to the side.

"There are other air benders alive?" Aang shouted, standing from his chair.

"Calm yourself, young Avatar." Iroh said sadly, "There has been no evidence that any air benders, beside yourself, have survived this long. What I speak of are rumors created, most likely, by desperate people looking for the Avatar's return, nothing more."

Aang winced, sitting back down as the brutal demise of his people lashed through him again.

"Though Ursa left, it was told to the people of the fire nation that she had died in the night, alongside her father in law, from a poison that was found in the matured mead that the fire lord loved." Shaking his head, Iroh continued with a sympathetic glance at Aang, "For a year after that, Zuko lived with his father in the castle, studying to be the next fire lord. On the fire princes thirteenth birthday, when he was to be crowned the heir, everything changed."

"What happened?" Katara asked, frowning.

"The prince was eager to prove his worth to his father. He wished to enter into the chamber of war and learn the ways of the greatest generals, though the guards would not let him. He argued with them until his uncle Iroh came upon them, asking what the problem was. Zuko begged his uncle to take him into the war chamber as a birthday present, and Iroh agreed after getting his nephews word that he would not speak, no matter what he heard. Iroh sat next to his nephew, keeping an eye on him, judging his reaction to the things that the most powerful men of his nation would propose." Iroh sighed, "Had Iroh not let the boy in, maybe it would not have happened, but it did. Zuko held his word until the very end of the meeting, though he had had to bite him lip to the point of bruising to do so. It was with a last, brutal scheme that Zuko lost control of his empathy."

"What was the plan?" Toph asked, "What was so bad that not even that psycho could stand it?"

Iroh gritted his teeth at the insult, but carried on in the most unaffected voice he could muster, "The senior general proposed to lead a full battalion of newly trained soldiers into a battle that they could not win."

"Why?" Aang asked, confused, "They were fire nation soldiers, right? Why send them to their deaths?"

"It was a clever strategy, on the tactical side of analysis; the soldiers would march into a field made of near solid rock, drawling the earth benders into a patch of terrain that they would need to use more energy to fight on." Iroh cleared his throat, "The new recruits would be slaughtered, defeated under the weight of a thousand earth bending masters. Not a one of them would likely survive. But the earth benders would be exhausted, both from the battle itself and the looting that went on afterwards."

"And then they would be ambushed," Toph gasped, "By a second wave. Already tired from bending strong materials, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves from an attack. They'd be little more than helpless."

Iroh nodded, "That was the plan. Zuko saw it as madness, a waste of life, he had said. He stood up in front of the entire court and declared that to send our people into battle as little more than bait was a betrayal of the trust that they had in their leaders. He said that it was the responsibility of the officers to see their men through conflict, not deliver them to it. The old general had sneered at Zuko, saying that the lives of a hundred soldiers was nothing compared to the access to the border that the defeat of the earth benders would bring. He said that the soldiers in question would lay their lives down gladly to protect their nation."

Shaking his head, Iroh slumped in his chair, "Zuko stared into the eyes of the general, his youthful face full of contempt as he spoke the words that ended up damning him to the fate that you three hate him for."

"What?" Aang, Katara, and Toph asked in unison.

"He told the general that the battle in which the soldiers would die was not in the defense of our nation, or of its people. He told the general that the only thing that would be accomplished if those men were to die in that field was a prolonging of plot for domination that had claimed more lives that it was worth." Iroh didn't hear them ask what happened after that; he was already going on in a distant, dead voice. "Ozai was furious, of course, but it was the general that proclaimed that the only way to cleanse such an abomination was for Zuko to participate in an Agni Kai." Iroh took another sip from his empty cup, needing some kind of a distraction from the horrors flashing before his mind. "Zuko had looked at the aged general and had been unafraid. He was strong, of course, and he was a brave, determined young man." Iroh got up from his chair and put water on to boil, using the movement to hide his tears, "That night, when he should have been helping his uncle prepare his birthday dinner, Zuko was getting ready for his first Agni Kai. Zuko was not afraid," Iroh continued, his back still turned, "He was even excited at the prospect of proving to the court that he was powerful, useful."

Pouring the hot water into his cup, Iroh added a spoonful of sugar and a couple of leaves, "In an Agni Kai, two opponents face off in front of a large audience of people. They kneel at opposite ends of a long rectangular stone stage. When the gong tolled, Zuko turned to face his challenger, a small smile on his face. And then horror, terror. Zuko had misunderstood. Though he had spoken out at the general's plan, he had done it in his father's war chamber."

Iroh closed his eyes as he saw the look on his nephews face again, so young, so scared, "Zuko looked upon the face, not of a stranger, but of his own father."

"No!" Someone screamed.

"Zuko had stared at his father for a moment, frozen in shock. He hadn't been able to conceive fighting with the person whose love he yearned for the most. But Ozai had no mercy on him. He came at Zuko with abandon, hitting and kicking him, burning his son whenever he could not evade." Chocking on the words, Iroh hid his face in his hands, "Ozai kicked Zuko to the ground, demanded for him to fight, but Zuko couldn't. Zuko begged for forgiveness, begged his father to call off the duel. I can still hear the crowd laugh at the boy's panic, his desperation." Pausing, Iroh took a deep breath, "Ozai demanded that his son fight him, fight to regain his honor. Zuko began to cry, backed into a corner and bloody, he cried for his father to stop, but Ozai had laughed along with the rest of the people watching. He pinned Zuko to the ground with crushing force, though his son did not resist."

"What happened?" Aang asked, shaking.

"Ozai starred down into his son's face, and spoke the words that will haunt me for the rest of my life." Iroh gasped for breath, hearing the venom ringing in his brother's voice inside his head, "'You will learn respect,' he hissed down at his weeping son, 'and suffering will be your teacher.'"

Iroh turned back to face the others, "And then he placed his hand over Zuko's left eye, holding it there as he scorched the flesh." Iroh stopped, taking in the horror on the faces of the children before him, noting with some satisfaction that no cruelty was held there. "Ozai left Zuko writhing on the ground in front of a jeering crowd of people that had, until that night, been his family." Iroh gathered himself as he took a drink of his fresh tea, "Zuko passed out not long after that, the terror of the night too much for his young mind. He woke on a boat the next morning, banished from his home with nothing but a dozen men and a second hand vessel at his disposal. His uncle, Iroh joined him, whether out of pity or out of love is unclear." Iroh's voice became bitter, "And they traveled for three years, looking for something that couldn't exist."

"What were they looking for?" Katara asked.

"They were looking for someone who had been dead for a hundred year, they looked for the Avatar."

"Oh, spirits," Aang gasped, sagging in his chair, "I never knew. . ."

"No one did, young avatar. After the Agni Kai, Ozai forbade anyone from uttering a thing about Zuko's punishment. For the rest of the world, Zuko was a banished prince out to capture the Avatar for his father. For years Zuko and his crew searched, looking in every city or port or jungle for any trace of the Avatar. From the heights of the air benders temples to the depths of the great tunnels, Zuko searched restlessly for three years, until, quite by accident, he found the Avatar."

Iroh looked at Aang, who was staring at him in horror.

"Grandpa?" Toph asked, uncertainly, "How do you know all of this?"

"Because, young one, I am the person who would know best, beside from Zuko himself. I am Prince Iroh, the dragon of the west, and Zuko is my nephew."

BANDON-MAKES-AN-END

Hey! I hope that you all like this, even though it's so short! Um, I really am sorry about the month and six days between the last update and this one.

Anyways! Read and Review!


	7. Trust is Earned

Heki: Teehee, I love to end chapters in Cliffy.

Shadow: This Chapter is dedicated to you, because you were the only person to go back and actually spend the time to review the previous chapters. I hope that you liked it!

ArrayePL: They didn't recognize him because they hadn't really seen him much (I mentioned it in a Previous AN.) In this story, Iroh has mainly been a face in the background.

Dark fire: Thank you! Feel free to review all of the other chapters, too. ^.^ Or not, your choice. ;}

Crazy Dyslectic Nerd: I hate my Dyslexia. I have to work really hard to make sure that my stories don't get published with mistakes. Worth it, though! I HATE Ozai! HATE! HATE! HATE!

Treena: I don't know if that was good, or bad, but, um, thanks?

Amy white spot: Thank you!

BANDON-MAKES-A-START

It was a flurry of motion after a brief stillness; Katara bent their tea into whips and Aang used air to knock the aged General to the ground.

"Stop!" Toph screamed, using her power to form earthen prisons around her friends.

"Toph," Katara cried out, "What do you think that you're doing? This man is a murderer!"

Iroh wheezed on the ground, fighting with his weakened lungs to drawl breath, "You would so easily forget your words, children."

"Grandpa," Toph said, righting a chair and helping the old man into it, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what they were doing."

"Toph!" Aang gasped at his friend, "What are _you_ doing? He's going to-"

"He's going to what?" Toph snarled, tightening the restraints on her friends, "Kill us with tea? Bore us to death with proverbs?"

Aang opened and closed his mouth as he stared between Iroh and Toph, "He's a fire bender, Toph. He may look harmless, but he's evil!"

"And what of you, Young Avatar?" Iroh said softly, holding his aching side, "I warned you before now that you would find this information difficult to digest. You gave your word, did you not?"

"But that was before we-" Katara began heatedly.

"Before you knew who I was?" Iroh finished, making her look away. "Did you not say that you would accept help, no matter who it came from?"

"You're Fire Nation," Aang countered, "How are we expected to trust you?"

Iroh sighed, "What was it that sent you on this quest, young one?"

Aang frowned at the change of topic, "Avatar Roku told me to find his Great Grandson."

Iroh nodded, "I had thought so. Only the late Avatar could know who became his descendant. All other information was buried beneath the Fire Bending temples long ago."

"Then how did you know, Grandpa?" Toph asked, relaxing slightly now that things had calmed down.

"I began searching for the truth when I came into contact with the last of the Dragons." Iroh said, "Dragons, who had been the spirit guides of the greatest men, have been nearly lost to extinction. Only two remain, the only ones of their kind who have been hidden for the last hundred years by the truest believers." Sighing, Iroh bent down to pick up the shattered remains of his favorite cup, cradling it in his hands, "They are gentle creatures, despite their fierce appearance, and they impart the most treasured of all knowledge."

"What?" Aang asked, curious despite himself.

"When you have earned their trust, they allow you to travel through their minds and into the spirit world. It was there that I met Avatar Roku, Zuko's Great Grandfather. It was he who told me where to find the records, he who showed me a path to the happiness that had been denied me with the passing of my son."

Rubbing his eyes, Iroh placed his hand on Toph's shoulder, "It was the same message that he gave to you, I suppose."

Aang exchanged a glance with Katara, "What did he tell you?"

Iroh shrugged, "Simply that Zuko had a power that could not be matched by any other. He told me that the only way for the war to end was with the survival of my young nephew."

"So that's why you went with him?" Toph asked.

"No," Iroh said, affronted, "I went with my nephew because he had no one else." Sighing, Iroh told Toph to let the others go, which she did after giving them both stern looks, "Zuko is a kind boy. When my son died, Zuko would go beyond the duty of a family member to make sure that I was taken care of. He would come to my house every day, eat with me in the gardens." Closing his eyes, the sadness was written clearly on the man's face, "When I had no hope, it was my nephew's innocence that saved me from myself."

"What power did Roku tell you that he had?" Toph asked, righting the upturned table and chairs.

"He didn't." Iroh replied simply, "Zuko has always been very special, though. I had no trouble believing that he held some greatness that hadn't shone yet."

"But how could you trust that he ever would?" Katara asked, "If you haven't seen it yet, doesn't that mean that it might not be there?"

Iroh shook his head, "You have much to learn about my Zuko, Katara." Sighing, Iroh took a small picture from inside of his robes; depicted there was a boy of about seven and a much younger Iroh, "My nephew loves me, as I love him, but he has trouble trusting. He does not tell me of his strange powers because he fears that I would leave him; abandon him as so many other have."

Aang dropped into one of the chair, letting his muscles relax, though Katara remained in a defensive position, "Can you give us any hints about what Roku was referring to? You would know him best, being the person closest to him."

Iroh sighed, "I have trained my nephew since the time when he was a boy. Similarly, I have also taught Azula. Though the two of them are in different classes entirely, Azula a prodigy and Zuko slightly less skilled, one would be wrong in saying that it was Azula that held more potential."

Aang and Katara looked confusedly at him, "But if he's just a normal fire bender and Azula's a master, doesn't that mean that she had more potential?"

Iroh shook his head again, "You have it wrong, Young Avatar. Azula is a master, yes, but so is Zuko."

"But then why does everyone say that Zuko is weak in bending?" Katara asked, moving to her abandoned seat.

"Weak in comparison to his sister, maybe, but so much stronger than any other bender in his age range." Iroh smiled, "Zuko is fierce but he tends to let his emotions drive him. Not a bad thing, for a fire bender, but one that often damns him to defeat at the hands of those more thoughtful than he."

"So," Katara said condescendingly, "Zuko isn't as good as bending because he isn't smart?"

Iroh stood, hands balled into fists, "I will not sit here and listen to you criticize my nephew." And then he was headed toward the door, stomping his feet in aggravation.

"No!" Aang cried, placing his hand on the man's shoulder, "We need you to tell us more about Zuko. I'm sorry for what Katara said."

Katara snorted, but nodded her head, "I'm sorry I insulted his intelligence."

It was clear for her tone that she wasn't but Iroh sighed, sitting down again, though he gave Katara a chiding glare, "Zuko is very smart, but conflictions within him cause him to lose focus at times."

"What kind of conflictions?" Aang asked, thinking of the way that the different bending styles inside of him kept him on edge.

Iroh shook his head, "It is hard to say." Rubbing his side again Iroh looked at the ceiling, "When he was younger, his power would go out of control; if he tried to bend without concentrating, great plumes of flame would engulf the training centers. If he slept and had a nightmare, he would call up raging fire storms that would destroy everything within reach."

Aang frowned, "But I thought that you said that he wasn't that powerful."

Iroh nodded, "I said that he wasn't as skilled as Azula, which is true, but it is not because of a lack of power."

"What does that mean?" Toph asked, "How can he be powerful but not skilled?"

"Zuko has to fight to maintain his control." Iroh clarified, "Where Azula is allowed to unleash the full potential of her bending, Zuko constantly holds himself back."

"But why would he do that?" Katara said, trying hard to keep her voice neutral, "He doesn't seem like the type of person to hold back in a fight."

Aang gave Katara a warning glance, but Iroh waved him off, "I can understand animosity against my nephew. He has done many things in his quest to regain his birthright." Sighing, Iroh shook his head, "In all my years teaching, I have never found a student such as Zuko, who can create both billowing flames and the most miniscule sparks."

"Is that odd?" Aang asked, thinking of his one Fire Bending experience.

Iroh nodded, "Normally, when a child creates sparks, it means that their truest power lies in healing. When they create massive blazes, then they are most suited for battle."

Katara frowned, "Fire Benders have healing arts?"

Iroh laughed, "Of course, Young one." He said while patting his protruding stomach, "Much like the Water Benders' technique, Fire Benders manipulate the chi in a person's body."

"Is it the same principle, then?" Katara asked, "The wound disrupts the chi, and after clearing the path, healing becomes quicker?"

Iroh played with his goatee, "They are similar in some aspects, but much of Fire Bending is centered around the life force of the caster."

"What's that mean?" Toph asked, confusion making her face pinch.

"When a Fire Healer works on the wounded, they awaken the base instincts for survival that can be found in all people." Iroh explained, "Unlike Water Healing, where the chi is encouraged to flow, Fire Healing _forces_ it to."

Katara nodded, thinking, "Does that make it faster, the healing?"

Iroh nodded, "It does, but it also makes it much more dangerous for both the Healer and the person being healed."

"Why's that?" Aang asked.

"Because, Aang," Katara answered, "The more of yourself that you put into healing someone, the more power it drains. And imagine how much pressure it would put on the patient, having so much of someone else's chi running through their body."

Iroh nodded, "One must have immense control over their bending to be able to heal this way."

Aang nodded finally understanding, "Air benders had a method similar to this, but I never had time to learn it."

Iroh sighed, "There is much that you need to learn, Young Avatar, much of which I think Roku means for Zuko to teach you."

"How will he be able to teach Aang?" Katara snorted, "If anything, Zuko has to learn how to Air-"

"No, Katara!" Aang shouted, causing his friend to clamp her mouth shut, if only too late.

"So it is true," Iroh sighed wearily, "You seek my nephew because he holds, not only the power of fire, but the other gifts as well."

Katara sputtered, but Aang simply nodded, seeing no need to hide what they already knew, "Avatar Roku told us that the Spirits made another Avatar, one that could not be corrupted." Rubbing his eyes, Aang ground his teeth, "Since I had been lost in the ice for so long, the Spirits had no choice but to break the cycle." Closing his eyes, Aang clenched his fists, "I understand why they did it, but I can't condone their choice."

Iroh's eyes snapped liquid fire, but he said nothing, merely stood and walked into an adjacent room, returning minutes later with a small box. "In here, Young Avatar," He said in a tight voice, "You will see why it is that the Spirits choose Zuko." Melting the padlock with his hand, Iroh opened the lid, showing the group various trinkets tucked between cloth and papers.

Aang and Katara exchanged frowns, but Toph smiled, "Is that a Bing Sack?" She asked, picking up a tiny doll from the very corner, where it had been stashed underneath a tin can.

Iroh smiled, "That was a gift. Zuko saved a kitten from being trampled under an ostrich horse." Grinning broadly, Iroh took the doll form Toph's hands, "Zuko had tried to flee before anyone noticed his involvement, but a young girl had proclaimed him her hero." With an impish light in his eyes, Iroh continued, "Zuko was, of course, mortified, both with the attention and the proclamations of love that the girl gave to him, but he couldn't run away with so many people watching him." Running his fingers through the doll's hair, Iroh sighed, "I had thought that he had thrown this away as soon as he had managed to get out of eye-sight." Iroh placed it gently on the table.

"What's that?" Aang asked, pointing to a small metal set of keys.

Iroh shrugged, "I do not know what is in this box. Zuko has kept it with him since we began our journey." Sighing, Iroh removed a silken sash from the very top of the small pile, "This was his mother's. One of the few things that Ozai didn't destroy after she left." Placing it on the table, he started to pull out other things, either smiling or frowning at them as he arranged them on the table.

By the time the box was empty, the table was only half covered in a random assortment of things. Aang frowned as he took in one specific object, "A Kuna?" Reaching forward, his hand brushed the small medallion and he smiled, familiarity seeping into him.

Iroh nodded, "I believe that that is one of the relics that Zuko found on his search for you." Iroh scratched his chin as he looked at it, "I had no idea why he was fond of it when he had first taken it into his possession, but now. . . "

"What?" Toph asked, curious as to what the strange medallion meant.

"It's Avatar Roku's." Aang said softly, remembering the statue that they had seen in the Air Temple. "This represents the Fire part of the Avatar Cycle."

Iroh nodded, "Zuko found that in the Northern Air Temple. It was in a massive room with many other artifacts."

"Wait," Katara gasped, "You went to the Northern Temple? Why didn't they tell us that when we saw them?"

Iroh shrugged, "It was at Zuko's request that we not alert the inhabitants of the temple to our presence. My Nephew, two soldiers, and I went into that place looking for the Avatar. We talked to the Mechanist, and he told us that he had not heard of the Real Avatar, so we left." Iroh shrugged again, "Though some of the men wanted to take the Mechanist with us, Zuko wouldn't allow it."

"Why?" Toph asked frowning.

"He did not want to disrupt the lives there. We had our answers. The Mechanist was gracious enough to give us three days of rations, along with a couple of the gliders that the children played with." Iroh nodded his head with a smile, "Zuko was entranced by that thing. He would go up impossibly high and then plummet down." Shaking his head, Iroh grinned, "It scared me half to death when he did it, but the joy in his eyes kept me silent."

"How long did you stay there?" Aang asked, "Didn't anyone wonder why you were there?"

Iroh nodded, "We were there for three days, time spent learning about the lives of the inhabitants. We told them that we were refugees looking for traces of the Avatar." Iroh motioned to their sparse surroundings, "Not entirely untrue, but the deception was necessary."

Katara starred at him open mouthed, "How did no one notice that you were fire Nation?"

"How would they know?" Toph asked, "Most people now-a-days don't really know much about Fire Nation people."

Iroh nodded, "And what they do know is misleading. I have heard more often than not that Fire Nationals have tan skin and Brown eyes" Here he motioned to his own pale skin and Amber eyes, "Or that our hair is red," he pointed to his top knot.

Katara looked unsettled; she hadn't thought about how ordinary Fire Nation people looked. How they could so easily blend in with the normal people.

"And since they're so pale," Toph said, "They can be over looked in a group of Earth Kingdom citizens."

Aang shook his head, "We're getting off topic again," He sighed, "We need to get to Zuko and try to convince him to help us stop the Fire Nation."

Iroh nodded, "It will be hard, getting my stubborn nephew to work with you."

"So we might as well get on it," Toph said, standing, "Can you take us to him, grandpa?"

Iroh shook his head, "I cannot do that, Young One."

"But-!" Aang started, only to have Iroh raise one hand in the air.

"When you first came here, I left to the place where I had been staying with my nephew. I packed his things and asked that a friend of ours take him to a safe place; somewhere I didn't know about." Iroh shrugged.

"Then can't you just ask this friend where he is?" Katara said.

"I cannot." Iroh sighed, "I told them to hide. To go to somewhere safe form any information that I could give."

"We said that we wouldn't hurt him!" Aang protested, "You didn't need to move him!"

"You said that you would accept his help, yes," Iroh said levelly, "and then you attacked me at first opportunity." Iroh waved away their feeble protests, "Whatever your reasons, the safety of my nephew means more to me that the future of any nation."

"Even your own?" Katara asked heatedly.

"Especially my own," Iroh growled out, "It was our nation, if you recall, that banished Zuko. That forced him to lead this kind of life."

Aang shook his head, worry making his face tight, "What are we going to do, then? We need Zuko, and if was can't find him in time, all is lost."

Iroh sighed, "We will have to look for him, of course. Ba sing Sei is a large city, though."

Toph cringed, "It will take us weeks to find him. Even if it were more than just to four of us."

"I have many contacts in this city. I will ask them to look for any information about a boy matching Zuko's description. I can only hope that he will remain where I have him, and not come looking for me."

"Why's that?" Toph asked, "Wouldn't that make things easier for us?"

"My nephew is hurt gravely." Iroh said wearily, "Several nights ago he was attacked and seriously injured."

Horror dawned on Toph's face, "Oh, spirits," She gasped, "I know how Zuko got hurt, Grandpa."

"You do?" Iroh inquired, "Zuko has not been awake long enough to tell me who it was that attacked him."

Toph looked down, biting his lip, "I- I'm the one that did it, Grandpa." She whispered, "He was outside of our house, and I thought that he was going to try to hurt us. I couldn't- you must understand-"

"I understand, little one," Iroh sighed, "Zuko told me that the spotted your friend and had followed him, but that was all I could get on the matter."

"I-is he really hurt?" Toph asked anxiously.

Iroh seemed to be picking his words carefully, "Several of his ribs were shattered by the impact, and one of his arms was dislocated, but it was the concussion that has caused the most difficulty."

"Oh, Spirits," Toph moaned, "I almost killed someone."

"He will heal," Iroh said consolingly, "But you must learn to be less forceful with your strikes. Had Zuko not been able to find help, he would have died."

Toph turned green, "I didn't mean to really hurt him; I was just scared."

Iroh nodded, "And he will forgive you, I think. It is one of the things that you will learn to admire about Zuko. He can forgive the greatest infractions, even though he is fond of using them to make his points." Sighing, Iroh stood, "I must be going. I have many things to do before the day is out, and I still have to be here come morning to open my shop."

"I'm afraid that I can't let you do that," Aang said, his voice unusually hard, "Now that we know that you're a Fire Nation soldier, we can't allow you to run through Ba Sing Sei free."

Though Toph gasped and tried to stop it, Aang used his air bending to send the aged general crashing against the wall, where he collapsed unconscious. Little did they know that someone was watching all of this, someone who could change the fate of the war itself.

As that person slunk away, crawling over roof tops silent as the night, a choice was being made that would have more repercussions than anyone could imagine.

BANDON-MAKES-AN-END

In the next chapter: Sokka makes friends, Zuko finds a family, and Lynn creates mischief!


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